EDUCATION: In 1977 he entered the A. F. Mozhaysky Military Engineer Institute in Leningrad, graduating in 1982 with a certificate of mechanic engineer with "aircrafts" specialty. From 1991 to 1995 he graduated in absentia from the commanding department of F. E. Dzerzhinsky Military Engineer Academy.

EXPERIENCE: Following graduation, from 1982 to 1986, he served in engineering positions at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. From 1987 to 1996 he served at the Military Office of "Energia" Rocket Space Corporation serving as engineer and chief of group.

In May 1996, he was enrolled to cosmonauts-researchers of the Strategic Air Defense Force.

From June 1996 to March 1998, he undertook general space training and, in March 1998, he was certified as a "test cosmonaut."

Since September 1998, he has served as a test cosmonaut at the Yu. Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC). In October 1998, he started ISS program training.

In February 2002 he was transferred to the Russian Federation Defense Ministry Space Force Commandant. In May 2002, he was attached to the cosmonaut team from the Defense Ministry Space Force and continued training for the ISS Program.

Shargin was a member of the ISS Expedition-10 crew that launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on October 13, 2004. The Soyuz docked with the International Space Station on October 15, 2004. Following eight days of joint operations, Shargin returned to earth with the Expedition-9 crew aboard the Soyuz-8 spacecraft on October 23, 2004.

ISS EP-7 Crew: Shargin. Mission to swap Soyuz lifeboats docked to station. Russian cosmonaut sent for a ten day mission aboard the ISS while the EO-9/EO-10 long duration crews handed duties over to each other. More...

ISS Finally completed in 2010 after a torturous 25-year development and production process, the International Space Station was originally conceived as the staging post for manned exploration of the solar systrem. Instead, it was seemed to be the death knell of manned spaceflight. More...

International Space Station Status Report #04-55 - .
Nation: USA. Related Persons: Fincke; Padalka; Chiao; Sharipov; Shargin. Program: ISS. Flight: ISS EO-9; ISS EO-10; ISS EP-7. As the end of its mission approaches, the Expedition 9 crew aboard the International Space Station prepared for the trip home by wrapping up science experiments and continuing maintenance operations of the vehicle. After spending six months onboard, the crew will greet its first visitors one week from today. Additional Details: here....

International Space Station Status Report #04-59 - .
Nation: USA. Related Persons: Fincke; Padalka; Chiao; Sharipov; Shargin. Program: ISS. Flight: ISS EO-9; ISS EO-10; ISS EP-7. The latest crewmembers to live and work aboard the International Space Station took a brief break early this week following handover from their departing colleagues, then began in earnest to acclimate themselves to their new home and orbiting laboratory.
Additional Details: here....